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Nice driving NZ...

Article from Fairfax NZ News

No serious incidents have been reported as a result of new give way rules introduced 40 days ago.

NZ Transport Agency acting chief executive Stephen Town said information from police showed drivers were applying the new rules well.

While it would be several months before enough data was available to begin assessing the impact of the rule changes on intersection crashes, so far police had not reported any serious incidents which could be attributed to the changes, Town said.

Results from an NZTA-commissioned survey of 1000 drivers carried out last month showed increasing levels of awareness and understanding of the rule changes.

When asked which vehicle gives way at an uncontrolled T intersection, 90 per cent of respondents chose the right option compared with 61 per cent in February. For the right-hand turn rule, 89 per cent answered correctly in the April survey compared with 74 per cent in February.

Last week police did note an incident where a minor collision at a Dunedin intersection turned into a case of road rage in which a 74-year-old man was allegedly punched and knocked unconscious.

The elderly man failed to give way while turning right at an intersection, and when he went to check on the passengers of the other car a man in the driver's seat allegedly punched him in the face.

The new rule requires all traffic turning right to give way to a vehicle coming from the opposite direction and turning left.